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In The Oxbridge Evangelist: Motivations, Practices, and Legacy of C.S. Lewis, Michael Gehring examines the evangelistic practices of one of the most significant lay evangelists of the twentieth century. In the 1930s, his contemporaries would never have predicted the scope of the legacy that Lewis was to leave behind him. Although millions across the world have been influenced by Lewis's evangelical thought, Lewis scholarship has not paid sufficient attention to this crucial side of this multi-faceted author. The Oxbridge Evangelist examines Lewis's loss and recovery of faith, and it shows how his experience heightened his own awareness of the loss of the Christian faith in England. Because of his ability to identify with others, Lewis engaged in the work of evangelism with uncanny skill. This work required singular courage on his part; it cost him dearly professionally and in his relationships. Gehring critically explores Lewis's motivations, practices, and legacy of evangelism. In doing so he provides penetrating insight for those interested in the theory and practice of evangelism in a culture that too readily leaves it to the crazies of the Christian tradition or relegates it to the margins of church life.

Contents

Foreword by William J. Abraham
Acknowledgements
Permissions

1. C.S. Lewis: An Unusual Evangelist2. Lewis's Formative Years: Family, Religion, and Cultural, Socioeconomic, and Political Identities3. From Faith to Unbelief4. A Journey from the Loss of Faith to Finding the Faith5. Lewis's Evangelism: Motivations and Practices6. The Message, the Messengers, and Character7. The Conclusion

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Reviews and Comments

Meet C.S. Lewis the brilliant, unashamed evangelist for orthodox Christianity. Nobody has done a better job of addressing thoughtful, intelligent readers with the claims of Christ. And nobody has done a better job than Gehring in presenting a loving but honest portrait of a flawed but brilliant man whom God used in a remarkable way. Gehring shows how Lewis deftly spread the gospel in environs thought to be impervious to the gospel. A joy to read.
Will Willimon, United Methodist Bishop, retired; Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School